How to Tips For Shoveling Snow

Mike Holmes's Top Tips For Dealing With Snow

Has your neighborhood been inundated with a major snowstorm lately? If you're still digging out from a storm, or if one's on the horizon, try these tips from Mike Holmes of Holmes magazine to keep your home in tip-top shape throughout the Winter.

"The most important thing to remember when preparing to weather proof your home is that you don’t want water from melting snow to get behind any exterior sheathing — the stucco, siding or bricks. If it does, the wood framing and structure will get wet."

"You want your exterior structure to be able to repel water, but if any does get in, you want the water vapor to be able to escape. It’ll dry out eventually, but repeated wetting and drying will lead to rot. You also don’t want the water to get further inside; if it soaks the insulation, that’s bad, because it’s very difficult for moisture to escape once it’s trapped within the building envelope."

"Start by clearing snow away from doors and windows. Snow melting could come in windows, doors and other openings in the house which could lead to mold issues."

"Keep the walkways and steps clear by scattering salt to keep ice from building up on concrete."

"Make sure to keep snow away from all air vents that bring air in for furnaces and hot water tanks."

"Should your area receive a large amount of snow, make every effort to hire a pro and remove large snow deposits from roofs and away from intakes, doors and windows, as large quantities of melting snow, especially on roofs, can cause a great deal of damage to not just siding and insulation, but gutters as well."